Belle Morte
by JetNoir
Summary: Vincent Valentine is a man who just wants peace, seeking atonement in his wakefulness. But haunted by a vicious spirit, he finds himself driven for survival, locked in memory, and eternal desert.


**BELLE MORTE**

**a Final Fantasy VII fanfic by JetNoir**

CHAPTER ONE: Shadows, Nocturnes and Fire

Belle morte. Beautiful death.

But death is not beautiful. It is the end, the ultimate sleep. Ultimate destruction, the desolation of life.

Vincent Valentine stood erect, tall and proud, arm outstretched. In his hand he held a gun, pointed at the epitome of a monster.

Hojo.

A scientist. A person who should be helping his fellow man. One for whom dealing death was of no concern. For this human monster, all that mattered was the result of his insane mind's experiments; and the knowledge he accumulated because of it. He focused on results, but not the method that got him there.

In his life, Vincent Valentine had killed, both human and monster alike. Some might have said that he was a monster - though none that knew him now would ever believe it. He had seen many kinds of death, and inflicted it. As much as he despised it, it was a part of him.

The gun in his hand was large, and very heavy. He looked down the barrel, in his position with terrible power.

There were no words. There was no need for them. All Vincent could think about was his desperate burning desire for vengeance. All the pain he had suffered, and the pain that Hojo had made others suffer.

With a series of rapid neuron sequences, Vincent's finger depressed on the trigger, and with a roar, Hojo died.

In a way it was too simple.

But Vincent felt that it was in it's way too complicated.

--

Costa Del Sol

Vincent Valentine is not quite alive, although that hasn't stopped him yet.

He looks outside the window of his hotel room, and blinks furiously as hot sunlight streams over his face.

"So today," he says softly, "today the search begins."

--

Cosmo Canyon, Three Days Earlier

"What is it Nanaki?" said Vincent, "You said it was urgent."

"I'm sorry to call you here, especially like this," said Red XIII, "but it's so strange. I have been looking for a book, called The Raven Codex. Apparently it holds the key to the world, and according to some of the more obscure myths, to other worlds. Though don't believe everything you hear!"

"Obviously," said Vincent, a rare grin on his lips.

"Well, this book. It's missing from the Canyon Library, with no record of any kind."

"Stolen?"

"Again, I don't know. What I do know is that we didn't hold the only copy. There's rumour of one located around the Costa Del Sol. Vincent, I can't leave the Canyon. Would you mind having a look around?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Vincent said, and then pointing to his deathly-white skin, "and I could do with topping up my tan." Red XIII guffawed.

"One last thing," said Vincent, "what do you want this 'Codex' for."

"The less I say," said Red XIII, "believe me, the better."

--

Costa Del Sol, Present Day

Walking out into the sun, Vincent swept his cloak over his shoulder, headed towards the beach. He was attracting some funny looks from the scantily clad bathers, but in all honesty, Vincent didn't care.

With any luck, his contact might be able to shed some light on this strange book.

--

Mountains, nr Wutai

The sun was also bright on the wooden paths, and mountains, but instead of heat, it was cold. Wind's sprung and played, and the cloth of the lady's clothing danced in strange circles.

The woman's name is Belle Morte, and she herself is not quite alive. Her closed eyelids move rapidly, her eyes in a state of REM, as she stands completely erect on this mountain of stone.

Clouds fly across the sky, sending shadows to the ground. No-one had seen her before, and probably never will. As the clouds send shadows to the ground; she herself is a shadow, a shade.

Hojo's legacy is long lasting.

No-one could have told how much time had passed, an eternity, or perhaps even a few moments.

Her eyes open, and her blood-red lips whisper: "I am going to kill you, my lonely Valentine."

Her powerful leg-muscles sprang up, and she jumped off the cliff, falling to the floor, faster and faster.

Yet, before she hit the ground, she swooped outwards, and up, into the stars, and sky, and clouds.

--

Night.

Vincent wandered into the Forge, and wiped sweat from his brow. Sparks flew everywhere, and he had to cover his ears, the sound was deafening.

The metalworkers were either side of him, in two long, straight rows. There faces were obscured with some kind of mask, but Vincent could see a figure in the distance, in the middle of the other metalworkers. Curious, he moved towards it.

It was a woman, of indeterminate height, and age. From his distance, Vincent couldn't make out her face either.

"What's with the lack of faces?" he murmured. He kept moving forward, every step he took, and another part would appear. The woman looked so familiar…

Vincent looked down, and saw that in the Forge was a perfectly shaped metallic heart. The woman's hammer raised, and slammed down with tremendous force, sending red and gold sparks shooting out, which landed at his feet.

Vincent looked up, and saw the woman that was pounding his heart: "Lucrecia?"

--

With a gasp, Vincent woke up in pain, the sunlight so hot, hotter than the Forge.

As far as the eye could see, an eternal desert stretched out in every direction.

"Alright," said Vincent, "how the hell did I get here?"

**To Be Continued**

**Disclaimer: **All the characters are copyright to Square Enix; and the story to me. This story has been written on the understanding that you may read it and print it out; but you may not pass it off as your own, hire it out, or sell it for money. You also may not put it on your own or any other web page without my express written permission. Thankyou!

**JetNoir**


End file.
